“You were my girlfriend. I had every right, and we both know it.”
“Why, Dillon? Why are you doing this?” I know he has issues, and I get that, to a point. What I don’t understand is why he’s hell-bent on taking it out on Reeve and me.
“We will tell Reeve together because I want to see his face the moment he realizes he’s lost everything to me.”
He is delusional if he truly believes that. “Even if Easton is your biological child, Reeve is still his father.” I work hard to keep my voice controlled and calm, running my hands back and forth across my bump. “Reeve is his father in all the ways that matter, and that will never change. And he will never lose me. I would never leave him for your selfish, manipulative ass!”
“You won’t be the one to make that call. Do you think he’ll still trust you when he finds out the truth?”
“I know my husband, and I’ve done nothing wrong. I didn’t know he was a twin when I got pregnant. I did the right thing and waited to prove paternity.” I did lie to him about that, and Reeve will be pissed when he finds out, but I did it to protect him. Once he gets over the initial shock, he’ll come around. I’m more concerned about concealing the truth of what I know now from him. “And he knew about you. I just didn’t tell him your name or that you were in Collateral Damage. Reeve never asked because you were a part of my past he didn’t want to know about.”
“I will sue you for joint custody,” he adds, drilling me with a dark look. “He’ll have to watch me develop a bond with my son. He’ll have to live with me there for every birthday, every Christmas, every family occasion. I might not be an expert on relationships, but even I know that kind of situation isn’t conducive to a happy marriage. I will make it my life’s mission to inject myself into every aspect of your lives. To make you as miserable as sin. It’s nothing less than you both deserve.”
3
VIVIEN
“That’s not how it works! You would never get joint custody! You don’t even live here full-time, and your reputation would work against you.”
Why is he so vindictive?
So determined to ruin Reeve and me?
I just can’t wrap my head around this. It’s blatantly obvious Simon manipulated both his sons. They should be working together to undo everything he did; instead Dillon is planning to destroy his brother. His twin! As angry as I am with him, I’m also hurting for him too because he clearly still struggles to accept and embrace love. He’s choosing to hate Reeve, instead of trying to forge a relationship with his brother, and I won’t forgive him if he continues on this path.
He smirks that annoying smirk I used to hate to love, and I want to slap him. “When I’m not touring, I spend more time at my L.A. house than my Dublin one. I’ve hardly drank since February, and I’ve already begun the naturalization application. My US citizenship is a given. I was born here to US parents. It’s only a matter of cutting through some red tape.” His eyes drill into mine. “My lawyers are every bit as experienced as yours and Reeve’s. If I go for joint custody, I’ll get it.”
I know he will, but it will most likely take time. Years maybe. Even then, any access he is granted to Easton will be gradual and supervised by the courts. It’s not as black-and-white as he seems to think it is. “That doesn’t mean you’ll be entitled to encroach on our family time. If you are Easton’s dad, we won’t stop you from developing a relationship with him or from seeing him, but that doesn’t automatically give you a free pass to participate in family occasions and events. Your relationship with him will be separate from ours.”
I won’t let Dillon come between me and Reeve or my family. I can’t stop him from getting to know Easton if it turns out he is his father—nor would I want to—but he doesn’t get to inject himself into our lives purely to fulfill his vengeance agenda. “This is all hypothetical anyway until we get the test results and way too premature.”
“I’m not going to argue with you over this. You say nothing to Reeve until I say the time is right.”
His arrogant tone pisses me off, and I’m not letting him boss me around. “Fuck you, Dillon. You don’t dictate what I tell my husband.”
“I’ll post right now,” he threatens, extracting his cell again, his finger hovering over the keypad. “You won’t even have time to call him before he discovers the whole sordid truth online. And how do you think his fans will react to this news? Hmm. How do you think my fans will react? They will come after you with the full extent of their disgust, and the hatred you endured in the past will pale in comparison to this.” He waggles his brows, and I want to punch him in his handsome face.
I know exactly how this would play out in the media. I’ll be the villain in this tale, while Reeve and Dillon will come out smelling like roses. I’ll be branded a cheater and a whore, and it’ll give further ammunition to that element of Reeve’s fanbase who have never thought I’m good enough for him. Dillon’s fans will think I’ve done wrong by him and lash me for it.
There is no scenario where I come out of this well.
However, I don’t care about that. The fans and trolls can throw shade at me all they want, but I can’t tolerate the idea of anything or anyone hurting Easton. While he is young, he’s not immune to the impact of social media on our lives. If Dillon is his father, we will need to work out how and when to tell him. I don’t want this getting out in the media and forcing our hand before any of us are ready.
Easton is the reason I need to keep this private. He is the only way Dillon can force my hand now. “If you do this, you will hurt Easton. He’s either your son or your nephew. Would you really do that to him?”
He schools his features into a neutral line, and he looks so cold and clinical when he says, “Easton is a child. He won’t be privy to what’s being said online and in the media. I can make it disappear fast, after I’ve achieved my goal.”
My stomach sours, and I wonder if I ever knew Dillon at all. “You’re a despicable person and not worthy of being a father to my child.”
Dillon reaches across the console, gripping my chin in a tight hold. “You know nothing about me or what I’m capable of as a father.”
“I know any man who would try so hard to destroy a child’s mother’s happiness is not a good father. Trying to ruin Reeve, the only man Easton has ever called Daddy, is not the actions of a good person.”
Dillon releases my face, his hands dropping to his lap. “You continue to act like you’re both blameless. I’m not the only villain here. Reeve is as fucking manipulative as his father, and that doesn’t make him a very good role model either.”
“You’re so wrong.”
He harrumphs, shaking his head. “He manipulated you the second you got off the plane that day.”
“You’re delusional.” I’m genuinely contemplating calling Ash because Dillon has serious issues.
“You’re fucking naïve.” He jabs his finger in the air. “Who do you think arranged that photo of you two on the balcony?” His brows lift as he pins me with a challenging look.